Moly?

[Finn McCool]

I read that several members lubricate the internals of their revolvers with moly. I'd like to learn a little more. What is moly? Could someone recommend a specific brand? Thanks for the help.

 

[Rule3]

Molybdenum Disulphide. One of the slipperiest substances known. Not need for gun lubrication. Once applied it's near impossible to remove.

Save your money, use Rem Oil, Mobile 1 synthetic, CLP or any of the gazillion gun lubes out there. Most of them contain PTFE (Teflon)

Molybdenum disulfide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[diamonback68]

It's a black messy gunk that is impossible to get off if it ends up on the wrong places. JMNSHO

 

[handejector]

Amazing stuff.
In, the 80's, we used it on high production ammo loading machinery.
DON't use it around fine linens.
Some interesting data here-
Theory of Molybdenum Disulphide Lubrication - Molyslip Atlantic Limited

 

[ditrina]

Amazing stuff.
In, the 80's, we used it on high production ammo loading machinery.
DON't use it around fine linens.
Some interesting data here-
Theory of Molybdenum Disulphide Lubrication - Molyslip Atlantic Limited

In the 60's we used it to pack Tail Rotor shaft couplings.. Lube Landing Gear and Rotor Heads,

 

[Maximumbob54]

I have used in in a couple of guns so far. I used a tiny bit wiped on with a cotton swab. You can feel it the next trigger pull. I sat down with some snap caps to wear it in and around then I wiped off some excess and ran the snap caps again. Will I try it again? Sure. Will I do it to all my guns? Nah, it's not all that.

 

[airman]

Maximum Bob says it well. "It's not all that."
I was curious too and researched 'moly', teflon and graphite as lubricants. They all are slipperier than oil and some work well in dry places. I just happened to have a tube of white lithium grease. I bought a small tube of "Hob-E-Lube" graphite lube at Hobby Lobby.
When I clean out the striker or firing pin channel I lube them with a puff of dry graphite powder so they won't be inclined to gather gunk. real pressure places get the graphite in a lead pencil. Sliding surfaces get the lithium grease. Yup, they are slick. Now I'm done braggin'.

"It's not all that." Guns have thrived for generations on gun oil.

 

[handejector]

I have used in in a couple of guns so far. I used a tiny bit wiped on with a cotton swab. You can feel it the next trigger pull. I sat down with some snap caps to wear it in and around then I wiped off some excess and ran the snap caps again. Will I try it again? Sure. Will I do it to all my guns? Nah, it's not all that.

You won't get much "wearing in" if you use moly. If I recall correctly, Moly engine treatments recommend waiting many 1000's of miles on a new engine- till the rings seat.
If you read that link I provided above, you'll see that moly works so well by preventing contact of the two surfaces. The parts "float" on a layer of moly. I have found it to be very good on guns. It is TOO good for some full autos because it increases the cyclic rate and batters them!
As I said, it was very effective for lubing the slides on Ammo-Loads, which cycle about 1-1/2" every round for millions and millions of rounds.
Ammo Load Worldwide, manufacturer of the Mark X automatic ammunition loader, and other ammo or bullet reloading equipment.

 

[oldRoger]

Mechanically as Lee says it is used for things like initial lube of parts that you do not want to wear. For example in racing engines you would spray (it is available in a spray vehicle) it on a camshaft and followers while assembling. It is also used to coat main and rod bearings before assembly. Even though you pre-pressurize the engine by spinning the oil pump, during start-up the engine runs fairly dry and high pressure points like valve trains can get the equivalent of many hours wear in a few seconds.

Heavy industry maintenance uses (or at least in my day used) various MolyD greases by the drum.

I use it sparingly for guns; one place that always gets MolyD is the bearing surfaces on the barrel latches of my M-41s.
I use it on my reloading equipment as well.

 

[Finn McCool]

Thanks for the help. I'm glad I asked.

 

[mtheo]

Dri-slide is available from McMaster Carr. I buy the liquid and use it
In the collet closers on my machine tools and grinders. It doesn't hold metal dust and grinding dust like oil or grease lubes. It was used in Vietnam by some individuals for that reason in the M16. I treated the chambers of my 351PD my 650 to solve hard extraction. If you select it as an overall lube on a handgun wipe it all the excess off let it dry then wipe it thoroughly again. It will stain permanently.

Now..... Someone educate me on the use of KY jelly used on M2's an auto grenade launchers in Iraq and Afganistan

 

[H Richard]

My introduction to Mollylube was on the teleflex cables on a J71 Jet engine in a B66 Bomber. Had to withstand some pretty high temp's. Nasty stuff, and took 2-3 days of washing your hands to get it all off.

 

[dcxplant]

My LGS's armorer loves that stuff. He slathers it on all of the rental guns...nasty... It may work to keep the rental fleet from wearing out but holy smokes that stuff is, did I say nasty yet?!

These rental guns get cleaned, like never, or when they malfunction, so maybe it's good for them. I don't use it because I clean my guns regularly (Mobile 1 user). It's like the motor oil argument. If you do regular maintenance and lube, it probably doesn't matter.

I know one competitor who has never cleaned his favorite gun and it will out-shoot him all day....YMMV!!

 

[sar4937]

Moly was over promoted in the auto repair market I came from. It offered all sorts of benefits that were hard to confirm. It always leaves a grey-black residue that is sure to offend shooters. My feeling is that it works, but most will feel it's disadvantages out weigh it's advantages for guns. Gun oil (which pulls a bit from the automotive side) has worked for years. I do use grease on my 1911's, and 2011's.

 

[cass]

I discovered a wonderful, devious use for Mollylube. I suspected/knew that someone was rummaging through my desk after hours (we were not allowed to lock our desks for "security" reasons). I put a goodly amount of the stuff inside my pull handle of my desk file drawer, and the next morning I found a pile of filthy tissues in the trash. I also found a furious boss. The event was never mentioned, but the snooping stopped. Good stuff!

 

[Maximumbob54]

You won't get much "wearing in" if you use moly. If I recall correctly, Moly engine treatments recommend waiting many 1000's of miles on a new engine- till the rings seat.
If you read that link I provided above, you'll see that moly works so well by preventing contact of the two surfaces. The parts "float" on a layer of moly. I have found it to be very good on guns. It is TOO good for some full autos because it increases the cyclic rate and batters them!
As I said, it was very effective for lubing the slides on Ammo-Loads, which cycle about 1-1/2" every round for millions and millions of rounds.
Ammo Load Worldwide, manufacturer of the Mark X automatic ammunition loader, and other ammo or bullet reloading equipment.

I guess I didn't use the right words. I'm saying that I wanted to wear the lube not "into" the parts but "against" the parts. That way it was evenly distributed and I could then wipe off the excess.